


MV 22 Spring Has Sprung

by katbear



Series: Master's Voice [22]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Angst, Don't copy to another site, Established Relationship, Family, M/M, Oral Sex, Personal Growth, tai chi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-14 22:35:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21023345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katbear/pseuds/katbear
Summary: Ben is having a good spring as the weather turns warmer.





	MV 22 Spring Has Sprung

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the beta readers who made this a better story (Merry Amelie, Lady Saddlebred). All mistakes are my own.

**Sunday 15 April******

** **** **

** **** **

Ben was feeling very happy with life as he headed up the stairs to put together a late lunch. He and Qui had started the morning by continuing his birthday celebration with a long, slow round of intimacy. After breakfast, they had done an extended session of two-hand push Tai Chi and Qui had complimented him on his progress. A brisk five-mile run followed by a hot shower had put Ben in a mellow mood, so he volunteered to start lunch while Qui cleaned up.

A large bowl of chicken stew looked promising, so Ben pulled it from the refrigerator and put it on the counter. He had just started to remove the cover when he heard the garage door open, then close.

The two Rottweilers, Dexy and Delilah, gave happy barks in the utility room and their nails clicked on the tile floor as they accompanied Jane and Rafa into the kitchen.

"Good, you're up here already." Jane smiled. "Marielle was at church this morning and asked me to pass these along to you. She said she hopes you are pleased with the way they turned out." She hung a plastic-covered set of clothes from a hook on the wall. "Marcel sent this along also." She handed Ben a large manila envelope.

"Thanks, I'm sure they'll be great, but I'll try them on to make sure. And the timing is wicked pisser, too – I've got the scholarship interview later this week." Ben took the envelope and sat down at the table. It felt like there was a heavy cardboard folder and a small flash drive inside. Taped to the front of the folder was a piece of elegant notepaper. Ben read it aloud for everyone's benefit, including Qui who had quietly come up the stairs.

Ben, mon ami,

The pictures from our session came out _vraiment excellent_. I provided a few you might find of particular interest, please to pass on discreetly per our agreement. If the right opportunity arises, I would be pleased to work with you again.__

_ __ _

_ __ _

Bonne chance pour votre entretien. Be yourself, remember that you have much to offer and I'm sure you will do well.

Marcel

"That was very nice of Marcel." Ben opened the folder and began to carefully spread out several pictures, some in color and others in black and white.

"Those are quite fine. My goodness, but don't you look handsome!" Jane had picked up one of the 'interview outfit' pictures, an eight-by-ten in color of Ben in a navy blazer and khakis. "'Ready to take on the world' is the label I'd put on it."

"I think he looks like a movie star in this one." Rafa blushed a little. "All dark and sultry and sexy." She was holding a 'beach' shot, where Ben was wearing the deep-cut shirt and looking up from under his eyebrows with a little half-smile, right arm over an upturned knee.

Ben grinned at the compliments, but when he glanced at Qui he saw that his mate was staring down at a different picture. "Something wrong?"

"By all the saints…" whispered Qui. "The man is a bloody magician." He reached down and carefully picked up a black and white image. "I want a copy of this."

Ben stood up and went to find out what Qui was looking at. Ben was astride Myrna in his leathers, jacket open, leaning forward with one hand on her fuel tank and the other hand caught in mid-caress on the handlebars. Marcel had taken the picture from the right front – Ben's breath stopped when he saw the expression that the photographer had captured.

All the love that Ben felt for Myrna shone forth as if he and the bike were the only things in the world, oblivious to his surroundings, eyes lit from inside with exquisite joy and a tender smile on his lips. Myrna seemed almost alive, arching into his hand. He swore he could hear her rumbling purr.

"That's…" Ben had to swallow hard. "Incredible. That's how I feel about Myrna, even better than I could ever describe it."

Qui reached out and pulled Ben in close. " 'Tis a wonderful picture. It kind of captures how I feel about you, too."

"And I love you, too, even more than I love Myrna." Ben smiled. "I'll definitely find a way to get you a copy." 

Qui leaned over to give Ben a quick kiss. As he straightened, his stomach grumbled loud enough for all to hear. "I'm thinking 'twould be lovely to have some lunch while we finish admiring the pictures."

Everyone chuckled before splitting up to either change out of church clothes, or in Ben's case, take his new clothes downstairs, and Qui began setting the table.

*** *** ***

“’Tis quite remarkable.” Qui raised an eyebrow as he sat on the edge of the tub and watched Ben hold up various combinations of pants, blazers and shirts in the bathroom, which had the best lighting in the basement. “I’d not have thought you cleaned up so incredibly well, and I’m thinking perhaps I can start understanding why you feel so keen about clothes.”

“This is nothing. You shoulda seen me in a tux when I got dragged to formal parties.” Ben grinned. “If I put on a big wicked smile I had to beat off the old ladies trying to discreetly molest me.”

Qui laughed. “And the pretty young things?”

“I played the piano or bridge a lot and wore every fancy layer I had." He grimaced. "Some of them were not so discreet about trying to get their hands down my pants. I had to work hard at not laughing; I would have much preferred getting my hands down the pants of the pretty young gentlemen.”

“Jaysus, such a holy terror.” Qui sniggered and rolled his eyes. He stopped as he looked at the shirt Ben was holding up. “That one.”

“Huh?”

“That shirt. That’s the one ye need to be wearing. Whatever that color is, it makes your eyes sparkle.”

“I’m going for a scholarship interview, not a frigging date. I need to look serious, not sparkly. And the color is generally called French blue, although this is lighter than usual.”

“Hey, I’m serious. That shirt with the navy blazer and grey trousers – ‘twill be a killer.”

Ben carefully took the jacket off its hanger and placed it over the shirt, then held it up to himself and stared at the image in the mirror.

“Hmmm….that does look really nice. A contrasting tie… maybe that red and blue one and the red pocket square… yeah, I think that will work.” Ben nodded slowly a few times. “Serious but not stodgy, very professional but not flashy. We have a winner.”

Qui helped Ben put away the clothes, then they decided to go for a long walk with the Rottweilers in the woods behind the house. Dexy and Delilah had great fun chasing down thrown sticks and dashing madly after squirrels, but were happy to flop down in their baskets when they returned to the house an hour later.

After dinner, Ben and Qui headed for their basement retreat. Ben wanted to send emails to Maureen and his mother with a few of the images from the photo shoot before he wrote a thank-you note to Marcel.

“I swear this damned thing is slower than rush-hour traffic with three accidents.” Ben banged the enter key a few times in frustration as he waited for the slow dialup.

“Aye, slower for sure than the one at work.” Qui picked up a book and his glasses that he’d left on the night stand and wandered out to the main room.

“Geeez, about damned time,” muttered Ben as he was finally able to get his email open. He decided to just send one of the 'interview outfit' pics due to their size, then made quick work of his emails, deleted some junk mail and turned the computer off so he wasn’t hogging the phone line. He thought briefly about using his phone more for things like email, then remembered that reception was okay for voice but not so hot here at the house for email. Things with big attachments were still easier to do on the computer, not to mention his tendency to hoard the limited data on his phone plan.

Ben retrieved the bottle of Irish Cream left over from the previous evening, poured two glasses and joined Qui on the sofa. They cuddled together in warm silence as they slowly sipped.

“Hope you enjoyed your birthday weekend.”

“’Twas wonderful.” Qui grinned. “You have a definite flair for ‘quality private diversions’, me boyo.”

Ben grinned back. “That was fun to plan, although I was really sweating getting those damned pants off. They were so fucking tight, I had this vision of getting stuck with them partway off and hopping around like an idiot.”

“You did it marvelously, although if you’d gotten stuck I would have been more than happy to rip them off.” Qui set his glass aside. “And speaking of pants coming off…”

The rest of their evening was a vigorous exploration of body parts revealed as each piece of clothing came off.

They both slept well that night.

*** *** ***

**Tuesday, 17 April******

** **** **

** **** **

Ben stared at himself in Midway’s break-room mirror and made a small alteration to the red pocket square. He nodded a bit and promised himself a stop at a restroom for final adjustments. He glanced at his watch – plenty of time before the two o’clock interview, but he had better be going so he’d have time to find parking and the conference room.

“Looking sharp, Ben,” said Frank Mendoza, his boss, as Ben came out. “Good luck. I’m sure you’ll do well.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll give it my best shot.”

Caz gave Ben a big thumbs-up as he went to the door, so Ben gave him a two-finger salute and a smile.

Ben was grateful for both the good weather and Jane’s loan of her truck as he drove toward the university. He lucked out on a parking spot in the visitor lot near the front, then sat for a few minutes in the cab taking slow deep breaths. A ten-minute walk found him at the Engineering building. Ben made a pit stop, ran a comb through his hair, adjusted his tie one last time and made his way to the designated room.

That room turned out to be an outer office. A secretary asked him to wait and she disappeared behind another door, but it was only a minute or so until she reappeared and asked him to come into a small conference room. Ben was very glad the wait was so short; he was confident that he had prepared well, and he had been bolstered by all the well-wishers, including emails from his mother and sister, but the huge flock of butterflies in his stomach reminded him of how out of practice he was at this sort of thing.

“Mr. Kennan, please come in. I’m James Kelly, Dean of the Engineering Department.” The bluff, broad man reached out to shake Ben’s hand. He looked to be in his early sixties, with thinning, gray hair and a sincere smile. “Welcome.” He introduced the other professors – Doctors Craelik and Tonvalen. Josip Craelik was about forty, thin, black with a shaved head. Bernice Tonvalen was a short, fiftyish, medium-complected woman – the scarf draped loosely around her neck was in the same colors as the LGBT flag and Ben wondered if there was any significance to that. The final panel member was a young Latino man in slacks, red button-down shirt and light blue tie – Carlos Garcia was president of the student engineering society.

They sat down around an oval table. Ben placed a folder containing a copy of his application, transcripts and other notes neatly to his right side, then reminded himself to sit with a good but relaxed posture.

Kelly spent a few minutes describing the scholarship – renewable, per semester, engineering students in good standing, etc.

“We were very interested in your application, Mr. Kennan. Or do you prefer Ben?”

“Ben would be fine, sir.”

“Good, we do tend toward informality in our department. As I was saying, you interest us not only because of your excellent previous college record, but your overall history. We are looking to increase diversity, not just the usual sorts of things such as ethnicity and age, but also adding transfers and part-time students. Do you intend to keep working full-time at Midway Motorcycles while you pursue your degree here?”

“Yes, sir. I don’t have the financial resources to go to school full-time as well as support myself, so I plan to work and take courses as a half-time student. Summer is by far the busiest season for Midway, so I’ll be concentrating on the fall and spring semesters. I fully expect it to be very challenging, but I’ve already discussed the situation with my supervisor, Mr. Frank Mendoza, and he is very supportive of my situation. He is aware that I might have an occasional class or lab that is only available during the daytime, but I’m hoping to take the majority of my classes during the evening or online. The availability of those evening and online courses was one of the major enticements for me about your program here. Since I will be majoring in mechanical engineering, I feel my work at Midway will provide some practical applications, if you will, as Mr. Mendoza is also involved with motorcycle design and refurbishing. He has been introducing me to not only those activities, but also some of the business processes involved in projects and dealing with clients.”

Ben made sure to make eye contact with all of the panel members and felt a little more at ease as he saw nods and positive body language.

There were more of the usual questions such as why he chose engineering, what he felt his best and worst personal traits were… the type of thing he had practiced answering. Then came a question that made him hesitate a moment.

“You were doing quite well at your previous school, Ben, with excellent grades and high recommendations from your professors,” said Tonvalen, who had been silent to this point. “Would you mind telling us why you chose to leave and what you did during that year or so after that where there’s nothing shown on your application?”

Although Ben had considered that to be a question that might come up, he still found talking about it difficult. “I did enjoy my time there. It was a good program and I had expected to continue. Unfortunately, at the end of my sophomore year, I had a falling out with my family. There was a disagreement about personal lifestyle choices.” Ben wasn’t sure what to make of what seemed to be an understanding nod from her and wondered if she was one of those people with actual gaydar. He cleared his throat to buy a moment of time. “The breach was serious enough that I needed to leave and it was made clear there would be no further financial support. I have to admit that I was angry and upset, so I took some time off to clear my head and try to sort out my future. I had my motorcycle, which I had paid for from my summer earnings, so I basically went on a sort of motorized ‘walk-about’, around various parts of the country. It was a difficult time, but I figured out how to support myself. I made it to Wyoming when I was just about out of cash and met some amazing people here who helped me get back on my feet both financially and personally. Building a new family here has helped me to find out who I am and what I want to do with my life. Although I have been able to begin reconciling with my mother rather recently and she wants to help with my tuition, my ‘adopted’ family has been very supportive and I intend to stay. Wanting to build a new and better life here led to my decision to go back to school and finish the degree I started.”

“That does sound like a difficult experience. Thank you for sharing that and I’m glad to hear that you’ve gotten off to a good new start here in Wyoming.” Tonvalen made a few notes on a pad of paper in front of her.

The others had more questions to ask, but nothing Ben hadn’t prepared for, so he was feeling quite pleased with the progress of the interview.

“I think that just about covers everything,” said Kelly. “Do you have any questions for us?”

Ben had planned for this as well, and presented his queries about the scholarship, the engineering program, and, since Carlos was there, added a question about student life and engagement with professors. His last question was a politely worded inquiry about when a decision might be forthcoming about scholarship recipients.

“That’s a good point. You are actually the last person we needed to interview, so we’re planning on meeting later this week to make the final selections. Add a few days for bureaucracy, and I expect you should hear something one way or the other soon.” Kelly stood up, and everyone followed suit. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Ben. Best of luck on your studies here.”

Everybody shook hands and Ben was feeling chuffed about his performance. He was surprised when Tonvalen asked him to wait a few minutes while the others had a quick discussion. Ben went back to the outer office and sat down, the butterflies he had vanquished returning in force.

Fifteen minutes later, the others left the conference room and Tonvalen waved him in. They sat down at the table.

“Thanks for hanging around, Ben. I can’t talk about the scholarship, of course, but I do want to discuss your academic program if you have some time.”

“Of course, ma’am. I have no other commitments today, so my time is yours.”

“Have you had a chance to start working on specifics of your program yet?”

“Only in kind of a general way, aside from trying to plan some time this summer to brush up on my math and earlier classes. I know I definitely want mechanical engineering, and I’ve been going through the catalog to try to get a better understanding of the courses I’ll need to take for that, but the fall schedule isn’t out yet so I haven’t been able to figure out an actual schedule. I was going to ask about getting a program advisor, but I’m not sure who I need to talk to.”

“Excellent. I am going to take unashamed advantage of our meeting and ask if you’d like me to be your advisor. Mechanical engineering is my specialty. I think you’re going to be a terrific student here, with a great work ethic, and I’m interested in seeing you succeed in what will likely be a difficult path.” She held up a hand. “I know this is quite sudden and you haven’t had a chance to meet other professors yet, but I believe in seizing opportunities to grab the best and brightest when they present themselves.” She smiled. “Here’s my card if you need some time.”

Someone wanted him after just meeting him? Ben was a little stunned. “Uh, wow, that’s ummm….” He looked at the card in his hand – in addition to the usual titles, phone numbers and room number, one corner had a stylized engineering gear sprocket with a capital ‘S’ and in the other corner there was a small LGBT flag. He stared down, then ran a finger over the flag before looking back up.

“Is that a problem, Ben?” She was obviously aware of Ben’s focus. “I don’t ask personal questions, but I will answer them if you ever need advice or a friendly shoulder to lean on.”

Ben took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was definitely an unexpected twist, but a possible ally in his own department was not something to blow off. He smiled and held out his hand. “I would be wicked pleased to have you for my advisor, ma’am.”

*** *** ***

Ben could hardly wait to tell Qui about his afternoon. Fortunately, his mate was home earlier than usual and Ben barely gave him time to change clothes before he dragged him over to their sofa.

After a brief description of the interview and how well Ben believed he had done, Ben launched into the big surprise.

“So, we were finishing up and Doctor Tonvalen asked me to stay after. She’s the one I told you about, the one with the scarf. I didn’t have to be anywhere else, so I said yes, and we sat back down in the conference room after the others left and she started asking me if I was working on getting my program squared away. I said not really, I mean it’s only been a little while since I even got the admission letter, and-" 

“Could you slow down a little?” Qui grinned. “’Tis obvious you’re excited, but t‘would be nice if I could understand what you’re saying, boyo.”

“Right.” Ben took a deep breath. “Okay, so the really big news, just right out of the blue, Tonvalen asked me if she could be my program advisor. I did not see that coming at all. I probably looked like a stunned fish.”

“So that would be making her the professor who helps you sort out your classes and keeps you on track and such?”

“Yeah, and it is weird that she’d be asking me to pick her this early after she just met me, but the really weird bit…” Ben leaned closer to Qui and tightened his grip on his lover’s hand, “I think she somehow knew I was gay. She had this little LGBT flag on her card, and she asked me if that bothered me, saying she doesn’t ask personal questions but would answer them. Swear to God, Qui, she must have known, the way she was acting.”

“But she didn’t actually ask you or say anything about you?”

“Nope, not even a wink or an insinuation. Anyway, I figured out that if she really is gay-friendly, I’d be stupid to turn down her offer. I could end up regretting that later if she turns out to be a horrible person or slave-driving nagger, but it felt right.”

“Aye, sometimes that gut feeling is the way to go. Were you able to find out any more about her?”

“She invited me to her office since we both had some free time. I got the nickel tour of the main engineering building, which was cool. Looks like they’ve got very nice labs. In her office, she pulled up my records and we talked about what I’d already accomplished, my goals for the program and she was able to recommend some potential courses for the fall semester based on what the schedule is likely to be. I will say that she seemed to know her stuff, both about engineering and dealing with the university scheduling and bureaucracy.”

“’Tis sounding better and better. Always good to have someone in your corner that knows the system.”

“Right. We talked a little about some of the clubs and activities, too, even though I doubt I’ll have much time for that sort of thing. Turns out she’s an advisor to two of the groups, the Student Engineering Society and the LGBT club – she said that’s what the two symbols on her card stand for. I didn’t have the nerve to ask her if she’s actually any of those LGBT letters, but I’m happy she’s supporting the cause.”

“Aye, that’s wonderful. I’m glad for you, Ben. Even if you don’t get the scholarship, it sounds like the effort was a good investment anyway if it got you a good advisor.”

“I sure hope so, but it’s definitely encouraging.”

*** *** ***

**Thursday, 19 April******

** **** **

** **** **

Ben was humming as he rode Myrna home. It had been a good day at work with four more motorcycles brought out of winter storage, two repair jobs and a chance to practice his welding with Caz. He’d gotten off early enough that there was still a decent amount of daylight.

As he reached the house, he was surprised to see Qui, Jane and Rafa standing around Qui’s truck. Jane’s truck was out of the garage, facing Qui’s truck in the carport. Both vehicles had their hoods up and jumper cables reached across between them. He put Myrna away in the garage, took off his helmet and leathers, then went to join the conference.

“What’s doing?”

“I’m afraid the poor old thing has given up the ghost,” said Qui sadly. “Not the slightest peep out of it.”

“So you’re saying it won’t start?”

“That's right.”

“Pisser. Let me take a look.”

Ben carefully unhooked the jumper cables from Qui’s truck and set them aside. He inspected the visible parts of the engine, poking, prodding and making a few adjustments. He got in the cab and turned the key – the truck was totally silent. Ben re-attached the jumper cables and waited back in the cab a moment until Jane started her truck.

“Okay, here we go.”

Cranking the key brought a few weak ‘rrRRrrRRrrrrr’s. Ben flicked the key off, then got out and made a few more tweaks. He waited a full minute, then switched the engine on, giving it a little gas. 

There was a loud “RRRrrRRRRrrrr’, then a muffled ‘BrrmmkkkkuKKK’, then silence with a small tendril of smoke drifting in the still air.

Ben got out, a scowl on his face, and poked around under the hood again. He shook his head, unhooked the jumper cables and looked at Qui.

“You do remember that I told you the fixes I made last summer were only stop-gap measures, right?”

“Aye.” Qui looked down at the smoking engine. “Does that mean what I’m thinking it means?”

“Yup. Engine’s shot, and, if I remember right the transmission, clutch and brakes weren’t in much better shape. Soooo, you’re looking at either major repairs costing many, many dollars or getting a new truck. You might get a few bucks for the old one as scrap, but I have to say I don’t think it’s nearly worth what it would cost to fix it.”

“Hmmmm…” Qui grimaced as he sucked on an upper tooth. Finally, he just sighed and patted the fender. “Well, ‘twas a lot of good years I got from the poor thing. Reckon it’s time to be moving on.”

“Good decision. Do you have any thoughts on what kind of truck you’d want to get?”

“Used,” was the prompt response. “Waste of good money to buy new and I need practical, not pretty.” He thought a moment. “Something basic, I’m not much for fancy geegaws. Reliable would be top of the list. I can likely get tomorrow afternoon off, so I’m thinking I might check out some of the local dealers.”

“That’s a good start, but you make damned sure you don’t buy anything until I’ve had a chance to check it out. I’m off Saturday and Sunday this week, so we can keep working on it.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Jane spoke up. “For tomorrow, I don’t have any errands, so you can borrow my truck to get around.”

“Thanks, I appreciate the help. I’ll call a tow company tomorrow and see about getting the old truck hauled away.”

Jane put her truck away in the garage as the others went inside. Dinner was a quiet affair that night.

As they got into bed that night, Ben offered his commiseration about the death of Qui’s truck, but repeated his admonition that his mate was NOT to buy anything without letting Ben check it out. He added threats of severe bodily harm if Qui were to prove so foolish as to disregard his help.

Qui solemnly promised to let Ben help and added a long kiss to seal the deal.

*** *** ***

There were some unexpected Friday repair jobs that took longer than planned since Ben was the only mechanic on duty that day. He ended up staying an hour extra to make sure everything was finished. The old truck was gone when he pulled in. Despite his late return, Qui proved to be even later, not arriving until after dinner had started.

“Left the keys to the truck on the key rack,” said Qui as he washed his hands. He looked tired and exasperated.

“How did things go with the truck hunt?” asked Ben.

Qui shook his head. “Twas a miserable, frustrating day. There’s a fair number of used trucks on the lots, but I didn’t find anything I really wanted at a decent price.” He sat down and took portions of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. “Sales buggers wanted to push the newer, shiny toys.” He stabbed at his slice of meatloaf. “Bigger commission for them I reckon,” he growled. “’Tis looking like it’ll be a long weekend of searching.”

“It can be right frustrating.” Jane took a thoughtful sip of her iced tea. “If you’re interested, there’s an estate sale tomorrow at the Double T ranch. Tom Tollner, the owner, died a couple of weeks ago - word is the kids came back from out-of-town and just want everything sold so they can split the money. There’s several trucks listed in the ad. Might be able to get you a good deal if you see one you like.” Her expression was bland but her eyes twinkled. “That’s assuming, of course, that the truck meets with Mister Kennan’s approval.”

“Darned right it'd better meet my approval.” Ben waggled his fork at his mate. “I’m not about to let Qui get taken on a lemon that’s not safe to drive.”

Qui rolled his eyes. “I got the message the first three times. I’m no bloody mechanic and know it.”

“Well, okay, then.” Ben grinned and went back to eating.

“I appreciate the offer, Jane. Would it be too much trouble to borrow your truck again?”

“No trouble at all. There’s plenty of room for all three of us and I’ll drive.” Her eyes gleamed. “I know the manager of the sale company, so I’m looking forward to doing battle with him.”

*** *** ***

**Saturday 21 April******

** **** **

** **** **

A hearty breakfast at 6:30 started their day – Rafa even got up early to join them. The sun was bright and the sky had light, drifting clouds as they drove for an hour to get to the ranch. There were already nine other vehicles parked in the field they were directed to, and five more cars pulled in as they picked up a sale booklet and made their way to the open area where the sale items were laid out. They could see more cars and trucks coming up the long driveway.

They had gone over their ‘battle plan’, as Jane called it, the previous evening. They were going to look at all of the trucks, wander around a bit as Qui thought about whether or not he was interested in any of them, then casually go back for another look at all of them again before taking a closer look at Qui’s favorite(s). Ben had brought a messenger bag with some basic tools, rags, big flashlight and pad of paper. Jane would chat up people to see who else was interested in what and handle the haggling. Qui had brought cash he had pulled from his savings if they were able to put a deal together.

There were indeed trucks, flatbeds, panel and pickups, in a row near the trailers and tractors. The four pickups seemed relatively new, two to six years old, and had been nicely cleaned up. Jane, Qui and Ben checked out all of the various trucks, looking at them, starting them up and checking out the details in the sale booklets. Ben made notes on every truck, although so far he wasn’t very happy about any of them, at least not at the initial prices marked on their lot-number tags.

As Jane and Qui wandered around chatting and looking at other ranching and farming equipment and tools, Ben’s interest was caught by a huge barn with an open large sliding door. Nobody was around, so he went in, squinting as he adjusted to the dimmer light inside.

There was a tickle at the back of his skull as he turned his head. Lit in a shaft of sunlight from above was another pickup along the side of the barn.

Ben went closer. It was a Ford pickup with extended cab, dark grey with large scrapes along the visible side, a dangling side mirror someone had tried to stick on with duct tape, large dents, and the left rear light seemed to be broken. One front tire was flat, canting the truck at an angle. It looked very sad, although at least the license plate had a current-year sticker.

Despite its appearance, Ben was intrigued. Something about it called to him, so he went closer. When he opened the door and sat in the driver’s seat with both hands on the steering wheel, he knew he needed to check things out.

Ben’s first move was to review the sales booklet – nope, definitely not listed. Ben shrugged and started his tour.

A walk around revealed more scrapes, dents and dirt. The spare tire was in place, though, and seemed to be inflated. He got out his flashlight, raised the hood and began his inspection. More dirt, corrosion on the battery terminals, fluids were low and the oil was filthy black. Then he went underneath – some damaged bits, but nothing not obviously reparable. By now he had two pages of notes, but as a whole, he had a feeling that the issue was primarily neglect, not being broken.

His fingers itched to turn the pickup on. There was still nobody around, but there was a key box on the wall near the door, so hopefully he could find a sales clerk to open it. He closed the hood and had only taken a few steps toward the door when his cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Ben, it’s Jane. Where are you?”

“In the big barn. I found another truck in here that looks interesting. I was going to try to find out who has the keys for it.”

“Hold on a minute. We’ll meet you at the door.”

“Okay.”

Jane and Qui arrived quickly. Jane had a young man in tow.

They all gathered by the key box.

“We want to look at that truck,” said Jane. “We need the keys to see if it starts.”

“Ummm, I’m not sure that’s in the sale book, ma’am.”

“It was clearly stated that everything in the field and outbuildings was for sale,” said Jane firmly. “We are serious bidders and want to start that truck. Please get the key out, then go find one of your senior sales representatives.”

The term ‘serious bidders’ clearly hit a chord. “Yes, ma’am.” He pulled a small keyring from a pocket, found the right key and unlocked the box. Fortunately, all the keys inside were clearly marked. He handed over the key for ‘grey Ford F150’. “I’ve got to have somebody standing by if you’re going to try to start that thing.”

“Of course. I’d expect you to be looking out for your client’s merchandise. We’ll be right there with the truck.”

“Thanks. I’ll go find somebody.”

Jane waited a moment for the young man to leave. “I assumed that is the right truck, since it’s the only pickup in here?” Both her and Qui’s expressions were quite dubious.

Ben nodded.

“Let’s go see what you’ve found, then.”

Ben led the way back, describing the sort of things he’d already looked at and showed Jane his pad of notes. “It’s one of those things, you know, a feeling I had that there’s more there than just the scrapes and dents. So far, everything I’ve found is either cosmetic or pretty easily fixable, but I do need to start it to be sure.”

“We’ll wait another minute, if you don’t mind, then you can give it a try.”

Within the allotted time, a teenaged girl came trotting in. “Oh, hey, Mrs. Brandon, you the one interested in that old pickup?”

“Yes, Tammy. Checking it out for a friend, you know. How’s your mother doing? I didn’t see her at church last week.”

Jane chatted with the girl while Ben and Qui climbed in the cab, which was dirty but otherwise in surprisingly nice condition.

“You’re really thinking this might be a good truck?” Qui’s tone was skeptical.

“Yeah. I mean, we’ll have a much better idea if it starts, but I think there’s more here than meets the eye. It’s only about eight or nine years old, a good basic workhorse model without a lot of fancy extras, looks like it has four-wheel drive and even a tow setup.” Ben inserted the key. “Here goes nothing.” He turned the key.

The engine caught immediately. There were a few rough hiccups, then the low roar settled into a relatively quiet purr with an occasional hesitation. Ben closed his eyes and listened.

“Is that good?” asked Qui. “Even to me it doesn’t seem to sound quite right.”

“Mmmmm… let me do a quick check on the transmission and then let’s get out so I can see what’s happening.”

The barn was huge and there was a good twenty feet of clear space in front of the truck. Ben eased into the driving gear, moved forward very slowly in deference to the flat tire, stopped, reversed back to their first spot, moved forward in low gear as he steered a bit from side to side, then back again. He revved the engine several times before letting it idle. They got out, took a quick walk around, and then Ben used his flashlight to check the undercarriage again. Finally, Ben raised the hood and looked intently at the activity under the hood. He made more notes on the third page.

“Okay, this is looking even better than I hoped. No smoke, no oil blowing, no leaks… a good cleaning, a tune-up, replace some of the stuff on the list like the mirror, worn belts, ripped CV boot, new tires and balancing, maybe a new battery before winter hits…” Ben put a hand on the fender, closed his eyes, and let his senses drift. The truck sang to him, sadness and hope for a new life coming across. Ben pulled in a deep breath as he opened his eyes. “Qui, she’s right for you, maybe not pretty but damned solid. And with all the cosmetic and maintenance issues, I’ll bet we can get her for a good price.”

Jane joined them. “I asked Tammy to find one of the sales people. Did I hear you say you think this would be a good truck?”

“Yes, ma’am. I know she doesn’t look like much,” he held up his pad, “but I haven’t found anything yet that’s not repairable and some of it’s just basic clean-up and getting her back into shape. There’s a good foundation there with lower miles than you might expect.”

“Qui, what do you think?”

“Ben’s right, it’s not much to look at, but I’m thinking it does feel pretty solid to me. If we can get a good price, I’d have extra money for repairs.” Qui looked at the truck, then at Ben. “I’m after trusting Ben on this one.”

“We’ll go for it, then. I probably know whoever the sales rep is, so I’m happy to do the negotiating for you. You remember what we talked about last night?”

“Aye.”

“Given the state of the truck, we’ll start the offer at three thousand.” Jane looked at Ben for confirmation. “And be prepared to do last dollar at five thousand, with an extra one hundred and twenty for show. That work for you?”

“Sounds like a fair deal.” Qui quickly shuffled money out of a white envelope, leaving just his final bid, and handed the excess to Ben for safekeeping.

Tammy came back with a man and woman behind her. Jane’s eyes lit up when she saw them “This will be fun,” she murmured.

The man was about five-ten, black hair and olive features. He plastered a smile on his face when he saw Jane. The woman beside him was carrying several folders.

“Jane Brandon, how are you doing today? Haven’t seen you in a while.” He held out a hand.

Jane took his hand and shook it. “Doing right fine, Marco. Good to see you again. I’d like you to meet Quilan Finn and Ben Kennan. Qui’s been thinking about getting a truck and Ben is his mechanic.”

Marco shook hands with Qui and Ben, then turned back to Jane, clearly aware that she was the person he’d have to deal with. “We’ve got some very nice trucks out on the line if you’d like me to show you those.”

“We saw those, and yes, they are very nice. We had more of a fixer-upper in mind, though.”

“Actually, this truck isn’t on the sale listing, so I’m not sure we really should be letting this one go.”

“Marco, Marco, this is an estate sale and everyone in three counties already knows Tom’s children don’t want the ranch, just any money they can get from it.” Jane leaned in a little closer. “And, of course, an off-list sale would give you more flexibility and a better deal than shopping it to a wholesaler. Did I mention that if it has a clean title, we’re looking at an all-cash offer?”

“Well, since you’ve gone to the trouble of visiting us, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk a bit. And I do believe it has a clean title, no liens, and we have copies of the death certificate and powers of attorney.” Marco held out a hand. “Tracy, could you hand me the folder for the grey F150, please?”

There was a knowing smile on Tracy’s face as she turned over the folder and retreated to stand several feet away. It seemed clear she was looking forward to the coming battle.

Jane slowly maneuvered Marco closer and closer to the truck as they exchanged pleasantries, discussed the state of the economy, the state of each other’s family, talked about Tom Tollner’s recent demise, how his children were doing in their various new lives after they left to get married or go to college. It was almost ten minutes before Jane got around to mentioning that it had been a nice day and how she enjoyed going to estate sales, which led to Marco mentioning that he was glad Jane and her friends had been able to make it out today and he appreciated their interest in the purchase of one of the estate vehicles.

Marco became enthusiastic over the qualities of the vehicle, how the two youngest children had learned to drive in it. Jane murmured words about the lack of maintenance records and certain defects probably due to the fact that teenagers probably had not been the best or most careful of drivers. And the oil, goodness gracious, so incredibly filthy….

Ah, but the truck was very fundamentally solid. And it has the extended cab, such a useful feature for carrying things in bad weather or even an extra person.

Jane casually asked Ben for his notepad. She glanced at it… it seems the truck has not only a broken mirror, but also a damaged rear light and torn CV boot on the right front. And the front left tire, of course, was dreadfully flat.

We really must look at the age and exceptionally low mileage. The truck is only eight years old and 62,000 miles is incredibly below the average for this type of truck!

The back and forth continued for another ten minutes until Jane waved Qui over.

“I think we decided you were willing to pay three thousand dollars for this truck?”

“That sounds right.” Qui pulled his envelope from his back pocket and carefully counted out stacks of hundred-dollar bills into neat piles on the hood of the truck. He then stepped back a little.

A good offer, no doubt, but surely we must consider all the worthy points of a proven vehicle. It’s clearly a steal at nine thousand.

Another ten minutes, with Jane consulting Ben’s list and tossing off casual mentions of things that would need to be repaired or replaced.

Qui made a show of reluctantly opening the envelope again and counting out the last two sets of hundred-dollar bills. He folded the envelope and shoved it back in his pocket.

Yes, five thousand was definitely a very good offer, but the low mileage! Surely an excellent deal at seven thousand.

But all of the tires need to be replaced, such expensive things tires were these days, and the wiring and belts show far too much wear. 

Ben wrote a few more items on a sheet of paper and handed it to Jane. She nodded sagely and charged back into the fray, 'accidentally' brushing an arm against the loose mirror, which swung slowly and clanked against the door.

Another five minutes, then Marco and Jane both looked at Qui.

“Is that your final offer, Mr. Finn?” asked Marco.

Qui pulled out his wallet, reluctantly pulled out six twenties, added them to the piles on the hood and flashed his empty wallet before putting it back into his pocket. “I’m afraid that’s as far as I can be going today. If we can’t close the deal, there’s two dealers in town and a private seller that have trucks I’m interested in.”

Jane added blandly, “Of course, we’d expect enough fluids from that shelf over there to top off the oil, brake fluid and such. Just for safety on the trip home, you know. We can change the tire ourselves while you make out the transfer.” She smiled.

“Well, given the circumstances, it would be in the best interests of everyone to get the truck sold. You are aware that all sales are final, of course? The only guarantee is for clear title and we make sure the transfer gets registered.”

“Yes, final sale is understood.” Qui and Jane both nodded.

“Very well. Mr. Finn, congratulations. I’m sure you will enjoy your purchase. Let’s get the paperwork done so you can be on your way.”

Marco and Qui shook hands as Jane watched approvingly.

Ben had been standing stoically, arms crossed, his best disinterested professional expression on his face, for the entire procedure. Inside he was marveling at Jane’s performance against what was clearly an experienced foe she had tangled with before. When the deal was finally made, he allowed himself to smile as he began preparing to change the tire and top off fluids. Qui’s new acquisition was going to be a good one, he just knew it.

*** *** ***

Jane followed them, but there were no problems with the truck on the way home. Qui parked the truck near the garage. Jane peered in Qui’s open window to congratulate him again, waved off Qui’s thanks and allowed as how she hadn’t had so much fun in ages, and went to go make a celebratory cake.

Qui and Ben sat in the cab, windows letting in a warm spring breeze. The late morning sun was bright and pleasant.

“So, what’s your first impression of the new girl?”

“That was a pretty good ride home.” Qui put both hands on the wheel. “There was a bit of wobble you said would go away after we replace the tires and get everything balanced and aligned. And…” he tightened his grip, “Aye, it does feel solid… comfortable to drive and ride in. Simple controls and that four-wheel drive and extra cab space could come in handy.” He smiled. "The heater works like a little blast furnace and, by all the saints, I'll be getting spoiled something terrible by the heated seats."

“Just wait until we get her fixed up,” enthused Ben. “I’ll pull her into the garage and take another look, then work up a list of repairs by urgency. We can get some estimates and I’ll help you sort out a schedule so we can make sure you have a reliable ride for work as soon as possible. I can do a lot of the work myself once we get parts, especially if we can get her into Midway’s shop for some after-hours work so I can use their tools. You could help with the cleaning and cosmetic stuff, at least getting some of the worst scrapes and dents squared away so we can minimize body rust.”

“I saw that first list and it surely does sound like a lot of work. I wasn’t meaning to put such a burden on your time, love.”

“Hey, it’ll be fun. It’s the sort of thing I like to do.” Ben took one of Qui’s hands off the wheel and held it. “Knowing I’m doing it for you will make it that much sweeter.” 

“I love you, Ben.” Qui turned and leaned over the middle console to pull Ben in close for a kiss. “You are a blessing on my life.”

“And I love you.” Ben sighed and snuggled a little closer. “We need to take care of one piece of business first.”

“And what would that be?”

“You need to name her.” Ben put a finger on Qui’s lips. “I know you tend to think of vehicles as just hunks of metal. But she’s a good one and I know she’ll do right by you. You need to give her the dignity of a name.”

Qui sighed. “Alright.” He looked around the cab, then sat back in his seat, holding Ben's hand. He caressed the wheel for a few silent minutes with his other hand, then he said softly, “Liadan. Her name is Liadan.”

Ben carefully pronounced the name. “Lee-din, right?”

“Aye. It means ‘gray lady’. My gray lady to keep me safe on the road.”

“That’s a lovely name.” Ben patted the dashboard. “Welcome home, Liadan.” He grinned. “I’ll make sure my big lug takes good care of you.”

Qui laughed and captured Ben’s mouth again for a long kiss.

*** *** ***

Their early start meant it was barely eleven. Ben made good use of the time before lunch to take another look at Liadan, update his list and identify priority repairs. He started calling all the area parts stores for prices and availability while Qui used his cell phone to check out tire prices. By two-thirty, Ben had a list of the most urgent items and then less critical things. He sat down by Qui at the kitchen table to discuss the next steps.

"I got us some good prices, although it will mean going to four different stores. We can pick up everything today, and I can probably get us into Midway's garage tomorrow so I can start making the repairs and replacements. You can be working on fixing some of those gouges and dents and general cleanup while I'm doing that." Ben grinned. "I think we can have you on the road by Monday morning. I'm still a little concerned about the tires, but they should be okay for a while if you're careful. What did you find out?"

"Most places had similar prices, but there's a place over in Sanson that's having a sale starting next week. She guaranteed me at least 10% less than anybody else if I ask for her when I come in." Qui shook his head at Ben's obvious enthusiasm. "You sure you don't mind giving up your weekend to do all this work?"

"Hey, I told you, this isn't work for me, it's fun." Ben took both of Qui's hands in his. "And it's doing for others, okay? I haven't forgotten about that, even though we haven't really talked about it in quite a while. This time, Jane helped us doing what she does so well, I get to help you with something I'm good at, you get a truck that works so you can keep going out and do good things for others and I promise I'm not keeping score." He crossed his heart. "Everybody wins and it's all good."

"Aye, it's all good," repeated Qui. "It's glad I am to be hearing that from you."

"Of course…." Ben had a sly smile. "I might just be expecting to top tonight. Just sayin'…"

""Tis a wicked boyo you are," growled Qui. He stood and pulled Ben up for a hug and kiss. 

*** *** ***

The rest of the weekend flew by. By Saturday evening, they had all the parts on Ben's list plus some more that had been on sale, fluids and cleaning supplies, a big bag of rags and authorization from Ben's boss to use the Midway garage since they would be closed. They had even squeezed in stops at a junkyard for new outer mirrors and at a couple of thrift stores to acquire various basic tools that Ben insisted should be carried in the truck. Qui was happy to let Ben top that night, although he extracted a good hour of foreplay out of the deal.

Sunday was another early start, anchored by an abundant breakfast and a cooler with a generous lunch, snacks and drinks. Ben had set up a work plan and they diligently toiled through the day, replacing, repairing, tuning and cleaning. Qui worked mostly on cleaning inside and out, although he jumped in when Ben needed help getting Liadan up on heavy-duty jacks to work underneath or just another pair of hands. He also proved adept at pulling dents, sanding out and repairing scrapes and gouges after Ben showed him how, did the paint touchups, then finished with a final thorough cleaning and waxing.

It was almost eight by the time Ben and Qui had finished a test drive and did a final walk around with the engine running.

"Jaysus, she doesn't even seem like the same truck that was sitting in that barn." Qui marveled at the immaculate interior, mostly smooth sides and purring engine. There were still several dings and repaired dents as evidence of her previous life, but now Liadan was gleaming, inside and out, chrome was shining and two large, new-looking black side mirrors with bright green stripes gave her a bit of a jaunty attitude.

Ben reached in to turn the engine off and then stood next to Qui. "The important stuff was sound, just needed some TLC and elbow grease replacing things that hadn't been cared for. Still got some other things to work off, but nothing urgent, and I'd be careful on rough roads until you get new tires. Shouldn't have any body-rust issues for now, but you may want to get her a proper paint job eventually."

"Sure and she's fine as she is." Qui ran a hand along the front fender, then grinned. "Just give her a few years of me barging about the forest, and she'll have plenty of other nicks."

"Yeah, I'll bet. Let's get cleaned up and you can drive us home."

The trip home was totally smooth and Qui pronounced himself very happy with Liadan's performance. He backed into the carport and they sat together for a few minutes after he turned the engine off.

"Liadan and I thank you, Ben Kennan." Qui pulled Ben in close and they kissed, a long, slow buss. "Love you."

*** *** ***

Ben had a warm glow inside that stayed with him at work that week. He had been completely honest when he'd said he had enjoyed working on Liadan, especially knowing that he was doing it for Qui. They were very busy that week, clearing out most of the bikes still in winter storage, doing some repair jobs, and Tony got his team together to get ready for their upcoming safety courses. Busy was good; it made Ben happy to feel productive. It also kept him from thinking too much about whether or not he'd gotten a scholarship, something he'd not had time to agonize over during the busy weekend.

Thursday afternoon was bright and warm. Ben saw a large truck parked near the side of the house as he stopped to open the garage; when he pulled off his helmet he was hit full in the face with a pungent aroma. He coughed a little as he recognized the heavy odor, a sharp tang in the back of his throat. The sight of two men loading a rototiller onto the truck reminded him that one of the rituals of spring was the delivery of manure for Jane's garden in back of the house. He parked Myrna in the garage and went through to the kitchen.

In the back yard, two other men were just cleaning up their hoes, shovels and rakes. The garden soil looked dark and lush with its newly turned-in load. Jane and Rafa were talking. When the first two men returned to help load up the tools, Jane gave each of them a large cardboard box; from the big smiles on their faces it was clear the gifts were highly appreciated.

Ben went out to join them as the men were leaving.

"Must be spring," said Ben with a grin. "The garden smells like it's getting ready to launch."

"It is pretty powerful when the manure first gets put in, but we'll be back to normal soon enough." Jane nodded toward Rafa. "Rafa is helping me lay out the plantings for this season."

Rafa looked up from her laptop computer. "It's not that hard, since we start from the existing perennials. The ag people recommended this app, though, that is supposed to help improve the output and quality by sorting out the best things to plant together. During the summer, we can track progress, soil readings and stuff like that." She gave a little smile. "It even has links to show images of plants and weeds."

"Sure could have used that last summer." Ben gave a fake groan and grimace, remembering his travails from the previous year when he had been weeding the garden to help reduce his rent.

"Don't fret about that, Ben." Jane patted Ben's shoulder. "You worked hard."

"Thanks. You need any help with things this summer?"

"Probably some with the weeding if you're willing to try it again. For now, the compost heap needs turning pretty soon if you want to do that. Probably be working on the planting over the next week or two."

"Okay. I'll do the compost heap Sunday, and you can let me know about the rest."

They started back toward the kitchen. Ben's cellphone rang – he dug it out of his pocket and answered it as the others continued inside. He spoke for a few minutes, then hung up and quickly followed.

Qui must have come in while everyone was in the back. He had just poured himself a glass of cold water and was still standing at the counter.

"Is there anything for me in today's mail?" asked Ben.

Qui picked up the small stack near their wall calendar and flipped through it. "Aye, you have something from the university." He handed a thick white envelope to Ben.

Ben's heart started racing at the sight of the university address, so he took a deep breath before opening it, suddenly aware of everyone's eyes on him. He slit open the top and pulled out the papers, quickly scanning the cover letter.

"YES!" whooped Ben with a big fist pump. "I got the engineering scholarship!"

There was an excited round of congratulations and hugs for the next several minutes.

Ben spread the papers out on the table. "I thought I had a chance, but you can't take that sort of thing for granted. Doctor Tonvalen called me a few minutes ago to ask if I'd heard anything, then suggested I check today's mail." He grinned. "Sure enough, there it was. This will really help, even if I'm only going half-time." 

There was a folded sheet of paper tucked behind the forms and instructions for activating the scholarship. Ben opened and read it. "It's a note from Doctor Tonvalen. She's congratulating me… and she wants to meet with me in early August to go over my transcript again to match it up to the program requirements so we figure out exactly what classes I need to sign up for this fall that will also keep me eligible for the scholarship money."

"Sounds like you've landed yourself a good advisor," said Qui.

"It's definitely a great start."

"This calls for a bit of a celebration," said Jane. "We'll eat at seven; that will give me a bit of extra time to whip up a batch of tapioca pudding."

The chorus this time was thanks for the anticipated treat. Everyone was definitely looking forward to one of Jane's specialties.

*** *** ***

Qui offered to wash dishes after their delightful meal, so Ben headed down to their bedroom. He sat at his desk, trying to decide who he should call first, but then he looked at the clock and wondered if he should wait until the next day and try to call at an earlier time.

The ringing of his cell phone decided that question.

Ben recognized the number and answered immediately.

"Good evening, Mother. It's nice to hear from you. How are you doing?"

"I am doing very well, thank you, Ben. Is this a good time to talk?"

"Absolutely. What's doing?" Ben felt a little thrill inside – such a simple thing for her to call him Ben instead of Benjamin, but it must mean she had been paying attention to his request and the way he signed his letters to her.

"I have some excellent news. This afternoon I met with Petra Wilson; she's one of Mother's lawyers. The restraining order has been not only terminated but completely expunged from the records."

"Wow! That is just wicked fantastic!" Ben thought for a moment and his brain twisted a little. "But it hasn't even been a month since Grandmother Lanahan visited. I'm thrilled to hear it, but I thought legal stuff took forever."

"Your grandmother has an excellent legal team and an extensive network of contacts." The humor in her voice was of the very dry variety. "When she wants something done, it gets done. She is not a person that others care to cross."

"Amen to that," exclaimed Ben fervently. "Um, sorry, I, uh, you know what I mean."

"I do, indeed." There was an actual small chuckle from his mother. "In any event, that is taken care of. I also had my Will updated. It is even more iron-clad now – Lars and the church charities will get generous set amounts, with everything else going to you and Maureen."

"Thanks for taking care of all that, Mother. I really appreciate it." Ben hesitated a little, but felt compelled to ask. "Is Father well?"

"In general, I suppose. We don't see much of each other as he has taken an apartment near his office to be closer to his work. Ben, I'm afraid I wouldn't hold out much hope that he will change his Will. He is still quite set in his attitude toward you."

"Given how much more I've come to understand him, I wouldn't expect anything different." Ben sighed. "There was a time when I really looked up to him. I wish things could have gone better."

"I'm sorry, Ben. I'm afraid neither of us excelled at being parents, but I am glad you and Maureen turned out to be good people."

"Well, I'm working on it, but thanks." Ben's face brightened. "I have some good news of my own, too. I found out today that I won the engineering scholarship I applied for. That will help me cover incidental expenses, even gas for getting to school."

"Congratulations! That is excellent news, son. I'm sure that will be very useful and give you some flexibility for budgeting. Speaking of which, you should be getting a credit card in the mail in early July. My accountant is setting it up so you will have direct access to the education account in your name for paying your school tuition and other fees. I know how complicated the expenses can get with all the various add-ons, so we thought that would be simpler so you won't have to contact me every time something changes that you need to pay for."

"I am incredibly grateful, Mother. I promise I will be very careful with the money and make sure I keep you up-to-date for every semester's projected costs."

"That will be helpful, but don't worry, I trust you. My accountant, however, trusts nobody. I don't think you ever met Miss Hazelton, dreadfully fussy woman but an incredibly keen eye for details. She will breathe copious amounts of remarkably polite fire and brimstone on anyone she thinks is trying to cheat us or abuse the funds. Copies of all account records will go to you and to her, which is the same arrangement we set up for Lars and Maureen." She gave a light laugh. "Lars got quite singed a few times at the beginning, but I don't expect you will encounter any such issues. If you have any questions about the accounts or the card, feel free to call her directly. She can be quite pleasant with people she deems honest. In fact, I would recommend an introductory call once you get the card so you can start out on her good side."

"Thanks for the warning. I shall definitely keep that in mind."

They chatted for a few more minutes and said their good-byes.

Ben leaned back in his chair. "Well, that was a pretty good phone call," he mused. "Good news to talk about, she seemed really happy for me and I actually enjoyed the call. Still too early to push about other things, I think, but that's okay." He nodded slowly, rocking a little in his chair. "Yeah, definitely good." He sat up straight and reached to dial his cell phone. "Maureen's a night owl, let's give her a call."

*** *** ***

**Saturday, 28 April******

** **** **

** **** **

The pleasure of waking up next to his mate never dimmed. This morning he was even happier when he saw sunlight glancing into their room as Friday's gloomy clouds and light rain seemed to have been banished. Hopefully the sunshine would hold for the afternoon to grace the International Tai Chi Day gathering at the university.

A stirring under the blankets made Ben smile as they were pushed partly down.

"Good morning. Looks like we'll have a nice day."

"Hmmm…" Sleepy blue eyes blinked as the long body stretched. "We promised to help in the garden this morning, didn't we?"

"Yeah, for a couple of hours to get some planting started. But we'll still have plenty of time to clean up before we head over." Ben shifted over to kiss Qui. "I'm looking forward to this afternoon."

"Aye." Qui pulled Ben in close. "I, on the other hand, am living in the moment and looking forward to the next half hour."

"Are you saying you're a horny old goat?" Ben laughed as he wiggled free.

"And you know you love it, boyo." Qui captured Ben before he could get very far and proceeded to demonstrate how horny he was.

The morning was productive, albeit on the muddy side, as the four house-mates worked together to get the garden plan laid out and get the first seeds into the ground. Jane and Rafa consulted earnestly with their new planting app, with an occasional comment from Qui. Ben just dug where he was told and enjoyed the company.

They were finished by eleven-thirty, which, as Ben had predicted, gave everyone sufficient time to clean up and have a relaxed lunch. Afterward, Jane headed to the church, Ben and Qui pointed Liadan toward the university, and Rafa would be following them a bit later to meet friends there.

There were already almost three dozen cars in the parking lot outside the sports stadium, with a few more trickling in behind them even though the first part of the program wouldn't be starting for an hour. They found a spot for Liadan not too far from one of the major gates and parked.

Qui was in jeans and sweatshirt, but toted a messenger bag that contained his silks and also carried his staff and sword. Ben had opted for comfort also – loose jeans and a long-sleeved, heavy t-shirt plus a Midway cap. The sun had warmed up enough that he was glad he hadn't brought a jacket.

Once inside the stadium, they veered toward a small hive of activity.

"Qui! Ben!" Sandy Miller gave them each a big hug. "So glad to see you."

"I saw your email about UPA being here, so I came to help out," said Ben. "If you need anything lugged about, cables to set up or whatever, just point me in that direction."

"Fantastic. We can definitely use the help."

"'Fraid I just stopped say hi. I need to find my sifu and join her group for the weapons presentations," said Qui. "But it is good to be seeing you. I'm looking forward to doing that new set of PSAs next month."

"Any time I get to see you is good, and I'll talk to you later about putting together a new Irish music show." Sandy waved a hand. "I saw a couple of different groups gathering down there toward the other end of the field, so that's probably a good place to start."

"Thanks." Qui gave Sandy another hug and took off across the grass.

"Hey, Ben, let me get you hooked up with Teresa and Jerry. UPA is doing several spots for the campus and local news shows and recording the whole thing for later, which I've got covered. It's mostly set-up and take-down where we need help, if that's okay with you. And we don't have to worry about the big screen projecting – the stadium team is handling that themselves."

"Sounds perfect. I'd love to join the big Tai Chi session, but I'll be back to help close down."

"That will be great. Let's get to it."

They worked steadily for almost an hour until Sandy pronounced herself satisfied with their preparations and had dispatched two mobile teams to start getting interviews. The afternoon had turned a little cloudy, white bits of fluff chasing each other about, but was still warm as people kept trickling in. Ben estimated there must be close to two hundred people, all casually dressed, by the time he found a seat near the field where Rafa had saved him a place among her friends. Misha had turned out as well. He looked across the field and saw what seemed to be at least four different groups assembled in silks doing warmup exercises. Ben was amazed at the turnout, but as he checked the crowd more closely, he realized that there were people of all ages, even children, and decided there must be a lot of non-university people who came to join the event.

A platform had been erected near one end of the field with a few chairs and microphones. The big electronic scoreboard that doubled as a viewing screen was very slowly zooming around the stadium with people occasionally pointing and waving as they saw themselves.

Finally, a small group of people climbed onto the platform. A slender man in red silks began with welcoming remarks and spoke a little about the history of Tai Chi and the program for the day. He was followed by four different people who represented the groups who would be demonstrating weapons katas – three of them were from towns outside the city. They each gave a brief description of their group and invited interested people to join them.

Ben kept his eyes on Sifu Rong Zhu's group as the four silk-clad sets moved forward until they were at the edge of the field near the audience. Two of the groups were to do individual staff katas and two were presenting paired staff katas. He found Qui as they assumed starting positions – he was with another man, almost as tall as Qui, in dark blue silks.

Everyone bowed, then settled back into their starting positions. Background music began playing on the speakers, an oriental flute and drum piece.

The demonstration went well as all of the men and women were clearly quite proficient. The clack of the pairs katas punctuated the beat of the music as the big screen showed the performances from a point above them. Ben watched as Qui and his partner moved gracefully to and fro in a seemingly effortless dance. He shook his head a little ruefully as he was reminded why he still had a long way to go before he could begin his own weapons training.

The applause was enthusiastic as everyone finished and bowed to the crowd again. There was a brief pause as the four groups changed people – there were a smaller number of sword masters, most apparently going to be doing single katas. Ben was pleased to see that Qui was among the four pairs who spread out in between the groups doing singles.

A different tune began playing, this time reminiscent of a flowing stream. Ben leaned forward in his seat as Qui and his partner began, swords extensions of their bodies. He almost forgot to breathe as they moved forward, backwards, up and back and around, sun flashing off metal blades. He sighed when the movement finally ended and joined in the wholehearted applause.

"Thank you very much for a beautiful presentation." The announcer went through the names of the groups again, reminding the crowd that it took years of practice to attain such magnificent proficiency. "And now, we would like to invite all of you who wish to participate in a standard Yang 24 session to please join us on the field. Please do not be concerned about your skill level as we are all here to join together in appreciation for Tai Chi; just follow your section leader and give it your best shot. There are guides in bright yellow shirts to direct traffic and our presenters have graciously volunteered to help lead the various sections. Please carefully move to the field and join a section between the ten yard lines."

There was much chattering and anticipation as people stood and moved to the aisles. Gates from the seating areas to the field had been opened and guides in neon yellow t-shirts kept the flow moving.

Ben angled himself to cut across toward the end of the field where Sifu Rong Zhu's group was spreading out to set up as section leaders. He moved quickly once he got onto the grass and was able to snag a spot in a row of people right in front of Qui where he stood in his pearl cream silks with the blue edging. Ben grinned and Qui smiled back at him.

It took several minutes to get everyone who wanted to join in onto the field and spaced out. Those remaining in the seating areas were mostly parents with small children. Once everyone was in place, the announcer began leading a set of warmup exercises.

As they began stretching, Ben was amazed at the amount of energy he could feel building. His pulse picked up speed, almost racing, carried along by the group buzz; he ran through his stances in his head.

Qui walked slowly among the people in his section as the stretching continued, his silks a soft whisping, a quiet word here, a brief touch to arm or shoulder there. He stopped on his return to the front to put a hand on Ben's shoulder and lean in.

"Relax, breathe and center," said Qui softly. "There is much energy here, but you know the moves so stay slow and enjoy the experience." He gave one squeeze before dropping his hand and moving to face everyone.

Ben took a deep breath, glad of the advice. He was comfortable in his command of the basic forms, so he focused on gathering and sharing energy as he melted into the initial position.

"We are about to start," came the voice over the loudspeaker. "Please take a moment to bring mind and body into harmony, center yourself and assume the starting position." Soft music played, strings, flute and drums that brought to mind slow rolling waves across a deep ocean. "Section leaders, you may begin when ready."

Ben kept his eyes on Qui – as section leader he was mirroring everyone's motions. He felt rather than saw the slight swaying as people slid one foot forward and reached to part the horse's mane. Muscle memory took over and he freed his mind to become one with Qui and the others. He shifted his weight, moving his arms and legs through the various forms… brush knee… hold the ball… single whip, cloud hands and another single whip… he balanced without wavering through heel kick, down to snake creeps through the grass and up to stand on one leg. He drew energizing vitality from the crowd as they flowed together to the final cross hands and close. There was an almost palpable sigh of satisfaction as everyone relaxed into the final position and a long silence stretched over the entire field as the music drifted to a whispering finish. 

Ben took a deep breath. He then joined their section in bowing to Qui. His smile and return bow seemed to signal a release and people began chatting as the voice over the loudspeaker pronounced thanks to the participants and reminded them of groups and classes in the area; most headed to Qui to thank him. Ben waited until Qui was free and took his own turn to approach him.

"That was wicked," said Ben. "It was fantastic working with such a large group, really different from two of us or a small group like we did for Thanksgiving. I'm really glad we were able to come out for this today. The staff and sword demos were wicked cool, too." 

"'Twas a grand afternoon." Qui grinned. "Fun and enjoyable, especially with so many new friends."

A call from the side of the field caught their attention.

"I'll catch up with you later, Ben. Sifu wanted to have a few words with everyone, and I need to change clothes."

"No problem. I promised to help Sandy with packing up their gear. See ya in the parking lot."

Ben was still humming inside and smiling as he jogged towards the UPA crew. Tai Chi would absolutely be staying a part of his life, and he would definitely work his way toward the time Qui let him learn that beautiful sword form.

*** *** *** ***

**Sunday evening, 29 April******

** **** **

** **** **

Sunday was a quiet day and his mate had to work, but Ben didn't mind. He was still feeling jacked about the Tai Chi of the previous day and tended to hum or whistle softly as he spent the morning helping around the house, doing laundry while Jane and Rafa were at church and some cleaning in the basement. He turned the compost heap and then had a leisurely shower. After lunch he took a few hours to dig out his old textbooks and start sorting out what topics he needed to review over the coming summer.

Dinner was salad, lasagna and toasted garlic bread. Qui was not home yet, so Ben headed back to the basement after doing the dishes. He pulled out his laptop, check register and journal. 

"Okay, let's see if I can't get up-to-date on my money picture." He set the music player on the laptop to slow background music and opened his financial spreadsheet.

"Hmmm, first up is income…"

For an hour, Ben went over funds coming in, recurring expenses, anticipated expenses, credit card and bank statements (that was a short trip given his reluctance to use the card or write checks), potential pay raises and, last but certainly not least, the tab for his college costs versus what his mother and the scholarship would cover. 

Ben was staring at the screen as he contemplated both what college would cost him financially but also in time and energy; second thoughts were starting to creep in about his ability to succeed. A light touch on his shoulder almost made him jump out of the chair.

"Jesus Christ, warn a body, why don't ya!" Ben blew out a sharp breath. "Like to had a friggin' heart attack."

Qui grinned at him; he was in sweats and a t-shirt, which meant he must have come downstairs and changed while Ben was oblivious. "Been standing in the doorway for five minutes admiring your focus." He leaned down for a quick kiss before perching a hip on the desk and surveying the top of it. "Is it money got your head somewhere on the moon?"

"Sort of." Ben's lopsided smile was a bit sheepish as he tried to keep a defensive tone from his voice, knowing Qui's attitude toward that topic and Ben's past issues with lack of it. "Mostly updating my budget, seeing how things are going, doing some planning for the future. You know, practical stuff so I can stay on top of where my money's coming from and going to."

"Aye, I will be conceding that's a useful thing to do occasionally." Qui raised one eyebrow. "I was thinking that things were looking up a bit for you?" The unspoken question was clearly whether Ben was worrying about not having enough money.

"Actually, yeah, things are pretty stable. Being able to share the rent has been helping, and having a set amount going to Jane for food helps with budgeting. There are costs to consider, like the motorcycle insurance going up this year." Ben's face brightened a little. "I did get a decent tax refund back, though, and this June will be my first complete year as a full-timer at Midway, so there's a possibility of a raise. That would be nice."

"'Twould indeed be a well-deserved pleasure if that happens." Qui squinted a little as he looked at Ben's laptop. "Looks like you've got quite a list going for your college needs."

"Started that when I was first thinking of going back. Now I want to keep detailed records so I know I'm using Mother's money properly for tuition and fees and then what I still need to cover that the scholarship doesn't." Ben nodded, almost to himself, his brow furrowed a little. "I really think the financial part is looking damned good now, but the work will be a hell of a challenge for quite a while…" Ben's voice trailed off as he looked at the stack of his old textbooks.

"'Tis a liar I'd be if I tried to tell you it'll be easy." Qui took Ben's face between his hands and leaned down so they were only a foot apart. "But I admire you for wanting to be doing this. I'll be here to support you."

"It's going to mean a lot of hard work and a lot of time I can't be with you. I don't…" Ben took a breath, swallowed. "That will be tough to deal with."

"For both of us, aye. But I know you can do this and 'twill be grand when you're finished. Until then, it will make what time we can have together that much more important and joyful." He rested his forehead against Ben's. "I love you and believe in you." Qui stood up and grinned. "But don't think that means I won't be giving you a kick in the arse if you start slacking off 'cause you're feeling sorry for yourself, boyo."

Ben laughed as he surged to his feet and wrapped Qui in a tight hug, which was readily returned. They kissed and sidestepped their way to the bed, falling over onto it with hands already reaching to remove clothing.

*** *** *** ***

**Monday, 30 April******

** **** **

** **** **

Ben glanced up at the sky as he waited outside Midway. It had been heavily overcast this morning when he caught the bus in, but a high wind had been blowing the clouds apart and blue was already peeking through. As an added bonus, it was growing warmer as the late morning sun began to make its presence known.

Liadan stopped next to the row of parked cars; Ben quickly hopped in so they could pull out without impeding traffic.

"Hey, Happy Arbor Day."

"Thanks. I'm glad you were able to get the afternoon off and were willing to spend it helping with trees." Qui grinned and gestured toward the back of the extended cab with his head. "Jane loaded the cooler with plenty of food, drinks and snacks. She put some fresh apple pie in for the occasion."

"That alone makes it worthwhile." Ben grinned. "So what's the plan for this afternoon?"

"First thing after we get there, we'll do a survey and see what needs to be done, then we can eat lunch. After that, basically, I'm looking to do cleaning and clearing. Brought a couple of trees to plant, too."

"Sounds good." Ben settled into his seat, half-listening to Liadan as he enjoyed the ride.

Forty minutes later, Qui pulled off onto a side road and entered the forest. A mile in, he stopped to get out and unlock a gate.

"I know it's been a while since I've been out here, but I don't remember any of this from when we went running."

"We came in from a different direction this time. This is an official access road on the boundary for this part of the forest; the gate marks the point where we entered the Keogami proper. Technically, people aren't supposed to muck about with the trees or animals on their own, but I've been doing this for years, so there was no fuss about getting a permit and all for the cleanup work." They drove slowly on the grass-covered road in deference to Liadan's old tires, but soon came to a flat area where they could park near the large clearing where Manus held sway.

The great burr oak was majestic in his green spring finery, his full quota of new leaves filling his branches. His great trunk seemed even broader than Ben remembered as they approached. 

Qui leaned in close and rested his head against the wood, his eyes closed and a soft smile on his face. His fingers caressed the surface and he seemed to be communing with a long-time friend.

"Manus says you are welcome. He is happy to see you." Qui opened his eyes and gestured to Ben.

"Um… okay." Ben stepped close enough to lay a hand on the rough brown bark. He always felt a little silly doing this, but he knew it was important to his mate. "Hello, Manus. It's good to see you, too." A warm wisp of breeze slipped across his face and the branches above him waved briefly. His mind wanted to dismiss the movement as a coincidence, but a piece of his heart insisted there was far more to it.

Qui had a knowing smile as he lightly punched Ben's arms. "Let's get started."

They made a quick survey of the entire clearing. Qui identified trees that needed some work and pointed out two open areas where he wanted to plant the new trees. They went back to Liadan and had lunch sitting on her open tailgate while Qui explained to Ben what he wanted to do.

For the next three hours they cleared and pruned, taking off broken, infected and rubbing branches as well as removing suckers and temporary branches. They gathered the cuttings and hauled them further into the treeline, leaving the discards in piles for small animals to use for shelter.

They stopped for a snack and water, then Qui and Ben hauled two young trees over to open spots about fifty feet from Manus.

Ben looked at the tags. "Peach trees? I didn't know those could grow out here."

"Aye, there's a fair variety of fruit trees and bushes that do well in Wyoming. This one's a Contender, the other a Reliance. They're good in the cold and self-fertile. Since they only grow to about fifteen feet, these should be good spots for them; there will still be plenty of open space around them even when they mature. Seemed like good additions to the apple trees." Qui handed Ben a shovel. "Time for some digging, boyo."

Fortunately the ground was already well-thawed and a recent rain made it relatively soft. Still, the sun was hot and both men were sweating and dirty by the time they had made the carefully spaced holes, watered, laid in the uncovered root balls and filled in the holes again. Qui set up five-gallon plastic jerry cans with small holes to let water trickle out for each tree, explaining to Ben that he usually tried to stop by every day or two to check on new trees and replenish the initial water.

They did a last check of the saplings, then a final tour around the clearing before taking all of their tools back to the truck to clean them and put them away.

Qui had water jugs in the cab – he handed one to Ben and they both stepped off into the grass. Qui poured water over his head, then pulled off his shirt to wipe his head, face and arms, before drying off with a small towel.

Ben washed his face and hands. He stopped, looked up and saw Qui staring at him intently. He caught his breath at the sight of his half-naked lover, wet skin gleaming in the sun. His mouth stayed open, blood flowing rapidly south as his mate's eyes shone.

Qui walked forward slowly, deliberately. One hand moved up to ghost a caress down Ben's face.

"'Tis been a grand afternoon having you here to share in the love for Manus and his little flock." Qui's voice was deep and rough, his eyes an intense blue. "I'd be after showin' you me appreciation, if you're catching me drift."

Ben swallowed hard as his jeans suddenly felt very tight. "Uh, yeah, I'd like that." His breath caught as Qui took the belt to those jeans and pulled them closer together. "Oh, Jesus, yeah, but I don't know if I can wait until we get home."

"Who said anything about waiting to get home, me boyo?"

"What?" Ben looked wildly around, his eyes big. "But, but –"

Qui drowned his objection in a kiss.

"'Tis just you, me and trees out here." Qui let some space separate them and laughed. "Don't worry, I thought about your tender skin, boyo, so I'm not throwing your arse down in the dirt to fuck you, much as that thought turns me on right now." He stepped over to the back of Liadan and opened a chest. "Here ya go."

Ben caught the armful of blankets, towels and a bottle of lube as Qui hoisted a rolled, heavy pad over one shoulder and grabbed two pillows with his free hand.

"You bastard. You planned this, didn't you?" Ben was torn between laughter and indignation.

"Well, I've found 'tis better to be prepared in case potential opportunities arise," leered Qui. He found a patch of particularly luscious grass near Manus and rolled out the pad. He straightened to face Ben, put one hand on a hip, sucked a finger and then let it trail down his chest toward his belly. "Of course, if you're not wantin' any of what I'm offerin'…" He began to oh-so-slowly unbuckle his belt.

"Hell, no, you're not getting off the hook that easy." Ben hurried over, albeit walking a bit awkwardly, flipped open a blanket over the pad and dumped the rest to one side. "Your ass is mine."

Laughter accompanied the awkwardness of flopping down onto the blanket and trying to remove boots without kicking one other in the shin. Eventually, however, it was just the two of them in jeans in a hot clinch trying to get their tongues down each other's throat.

Eventually, the need for a breather set them apart.

"I do fully intend to fuck your sorry ass," said Ben as he let a hand tweak one of Qui's nipples. "Does Manus have any objection to that?"

"I doubt it. He's likely one of the few burr oaks in the state of Wyoming –" Qui gasped as Ben tweaked harder – "my theory is that he is a lonely bi who – Jaysus – " as Ben sucked in the other nipple – "who freely lets his pollen fly where it pleases."

Ben raised his head long enough to mutter, "Good to know." He then used his hands to work Qui's nipples as he attacked his mouth, face and neck while keeping one knee firmly pressed into his crotch.

It was only when Qui was a writhing, moaning mess that Ben finally relented and they returned to ransacking each other's mouth as chests and bellies slid together.

"Oh, yeah, so fucking hot," panted Ben as he pulled back, breathing hard. He put both hands on Qui's heaving chest as he started to sit up and pushed him back down. "No, you don't. I'm not nearly done with you yet."

Ben sat up long enough to unfasten his belt and wiggle out of jeans and black boxer briefs. He then straddled Qui's belly and let his cock hang free.

Leaning forward, Ben grabbed Qui's arms to hold them down over his head as he scooted his hips forward. Qui eagerly leaned his head up, eager to take in the cock dangling so enticingly.

"That's right, suck it!" Ben shoved his hips forward so Qui could lick and suck his cock. "Jesus Christ, oh, Jesus!"

Qui was very enthusiastic, teasing the leaking tip, then licking the length. He sucked, forward and back, taking in a little, then pulling back before trying to inhale the whole length, balls and all. He knew the erotic spots in Ben's crotch, the ones that turned him on the most, and he hit every one of them.

Ben yelled and threw his head back as his balls tightened and he came with a roar, spurting into his lover's mouth. He let go of Qui's arms and fell off to the side, flying high from the orgasm.

Maybe it was the fresh air, maybe it was being out in the open, free to do as they pleased, but Ben was still more than half hard. He responded quickly when Qui kissed him, the taste of himself in Qui's mouth sending his nerves sparking again. They kissed some more, deep and tender, as Qui stroked Ben's cock back into full life.

Qui stuck his tongue in Ben's ear and Ben shuddered as lightning zapped his gut. He moaned as he wiped sweat away, the salt that had trickled into his mouth mingling with the flavor of Qui and his own cum.

"Unfinished business," said Ben hoarsely. He reached over to unbuckle Qui's belt, and it took both of them to carefully maneuver Qui's jeans and boxer briefs down and off. Now they were both naked.

"You still good?"

"Bloody saints, yes," growled Qui. "Fuck me already!"

"Be careful what you ask for." Ben grinned as he stroked Qui's erection; it was hard as steel in his hand.

"Get on with it or I'm taking all the apple pie for myself, boyo."

"That's playing dirty. You are in for it now, you fucking bastard!"

Ben grabbed a towel, put it over a pillow. "On your belly, now." He gave a hard slap to Qui's rear when he didn't move quickly enough. He spread Qui's legs and moved between them so he could lick and suck his way down Qui's back to the top of his crack.

"Jaysus!" moaned Qui when Ben started rimming him. He squirmed as Ben's tongue went round and round, occasionally dipping in. He tried to buck, but Ben slapped his ass again and he managed to subside.

"Oh, God, gotta have that." Ben began drizzling lube down Qui's crack. The first finger brought forth a heart-felt groan, by the third finger he had found Qui's prostate and had him squirming.

"Settle down, old man." Ben slapped hard again, once on each cheek. "Now that is really fucking hot." He rubbed the red ass with one hand as he slathered lube on his cock.

"Fuck me… please fuck me," moaned Qui as he grabbed the blanket hard.

"My pleasure." Ben's wolfish grin was wide. "Get your ass up here." He reached and positioned pulled Qui's hips as Qui held himself in place on his forearms.

Ben held his cock with one hand and carefully pushed into Qui's body. He heard Qui's grunt as he popped the entrance.

"Takemefuckmefuckme." Qui tried to push back to impale himself but Ben held him still.

With a grunt of his own, Ben pushed forward, slowly but steadily. He only stopped when he was fully engulfed, skin against skin, his balls snug against Qui's ass.

Time seemed to stop when Ben closed his eyes. Blood thundered and raced, salt stung his eyes, sun heated his back while an errant breeze left cool traces. His world was centered on the glorious union of flesh inside tight flesh, skin on blazing skin and he moaned his need. An answering groan beneath him brought him back into razor-sharp focus.

Ben sucked in a ragged breath and took a firmer grip on Qui's hips. He pulled out slowly, letting himself enjoy the delicious friction as he slid out, then plunged back in. 

Qui pushed back as Ben shoved in; they quickly set up a ferocious rhythm, losing their passion into the trees.

It was a blistering pace they could not sustain as Ben raked his mate's prostate on nearly every pass. He felt his balls begin to tighten, so he pushed in close to reach around.

Ben found Qui's cock. His hand was slippery with lube and sweat as he began rapidly fisting in time to his shorter thrusts.

In, out, grunts and moans as skin slapped on skin. Harder, even faster.

"Aaaarrhaaaaoooo!"

Shouts echoed into the trees as they reached a shattering orgasm. Ben made one last thrust and held on, arms wrapped around Qui's middle as they fell over onto their sides. Brilliant light splashed behind his eyes as his senses rocketed into euphoria.

The wind tickling his bare ass poked Ben back toward consciousness. He was spooned against Qui, his head snuggled between his shoulders.

"Whooooaaa." Ben shifted onto his back as Qui twisted around next to him. "That was awesome."

"Aye." Qui blew out a slow breath. "Feckin' brilliant." He snagged a towel and gave them both a quick wipe.

"Don't think I can move," murmured Ben. "Feels good…"

"No rush to be goin' anywhere." Qui yawned. He exchanged the towel for a couple of blankets and flipped them over to cover their bodies. "Plenty of time for a nice nap."

"Love you." Ben cuddled close into Qui's side. He was feeling very magnanimous and mellow. He raised his voice slightly and managed to call out, "Love you, too, Manus," before drifting off.

Qui smiled as he dropped a tender kiss on Ben's forehead. "Love you both," he whispered as he followed Ben into sleep.

finis


End file.
